


Out Of Our Element

by Anonymous_Cupcake



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Found Family, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Minor Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji, Nonbinary Alex (Banana Fish), Nothing too bad is explicitly mentioned, Okumura Eiji Needs a Hug, Panic Attacks, Takes place roughly between ep 10 and 11, Welcome back to sad Eiji hours
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:22:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28158249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymous_Cupcake/pseuds/Anonymous_Cupcake
Summary: But now the imminent danger was gone. All Alex had to do was drive back to the base and watch over some Japanese guy. Easy.Except the guy starts having a panic attack in the back seat and no one knows how to comfort him.(Alternatively, the gang adopt Eiji)
Relationships: Alex & Okumura Eiji, Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji, Bones & Kong (Banana Fish)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 182





	Out Of Our Element

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ADreamingSongbird](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ADreamingSongbird/gifts).



> Happy holidays! I may have gotten too comfortable with gifting you fics (it's pretty much my only way of expressing love since I can't scream on tumblr)  
> Regardless I hope you enjoy it!

The plan went off without a hitch. Their Boss was back and everyone got to have fun by smashing most of the cars to make their escape easier. Right before they got ready to leave, Boss announced he was staying behind. He said he had something important to do, and everyone knew better to question it.

Alex watched him turn to the Japanese man that was with them. They were both whispering, Boss's voice softer than anyone's ever heard. Alex could hear the guys whispering as well, wondering who this outsider was and why Boss was talking to him.

Alex remembered him. He was one of the photographers that were supposed to interview Boss, the younger one out of the two. They still shivered when they remembered how he asked to hold Boss's gun. That was when Skipper was still alive, before Arthur's men stormed the bar.

Boss back then was different from the Boss in front of them. They could see it from his body language, the uncharacteristically soft voice. It was a sight Alex didn't have the right to see.

"Alex," Boss's voice brought them back to reality. "Take care of Eiji for me."

Considering who was giving the order, Alex was surprised. Their interactions at the bar weren't too special, besides letting Eiji hold his gun. Then again, the two were gone for a few months. Anything could've happened. But now wasn't the time to question it.

"Um, sure."

"Don't let him out of your sight." Boss added, and Alex's curiosity doubled. It wasn't that strange of an order, was it? Alex remembered what Eiji said before, that he was older than Boss. Surely he was capable of taking care of himself. Still, orders were orders.

"Alright." they almost fumbled over the word, still taken aback. Boss walked off, but before they could leave, Eiji spoke up.

"Ash! Come back safely. I'll be waiting for you as long as it takes."

Boss didn't respond, but the way he flinched slightly at Eiji's words said it all. He walked back to the mansion, leaving the gang alone with Eiji. Everyone watched, and Alex knew what they were thinking.

_"There's no hetero explanation for that."_

It was different then what they were used to. Not even Shorter would act like that with Boss.

Bones was the first to snap out of it. He gingerly placed a hand on Eiji's shoulder, and Alex noted that he quickly moved away the second he felt someone touch him. Bones took his hand away just as fast, like it burned to touch him.

"We should go."

Eiji nodded, the fear in his eyes dying when he recognized Bones as an ally. Everyone piled into the cars that weren't smashed. Alex, knowing Boss will somehow sense if they aren't with Eiji the entire time, led Eiji into a car with Bones and Kong.

Eiji shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the seat belt brushing against some of his wounds. Alex gave him a sympathetic glance. This might've been the worst he's ever been beat up.

Everyone drove off, still respecting basic traffic rules. It wouldn't do them any good if they got pulled over. Alex kept sparing glances at Eiji, who was squished between Bones and Kong. Last they saw him, he was all smiles and wide eyed, a kid exploring a new place. Now, the smile was gone and his eyes were dim, whatever spark in him gone.

Perhaps Bones didn't notice, because he kept trying to make conversation with him. It might've been his way of trying to lighten up the mood, or he was just curious because he wasn't at the bar.

"So, your name's Eiji? How come Boss likes you so much? Why'd you get to go to L.A? How come you didn't have a gun?"

Definitely curiosity.

"Bones, leave him alone." Alex sighed. Bones rolled his eyes and kept talking a mile a minute.

"What was L.A like? Wait, what's Japan like? Does the Boss have some sort of secret soft side? Hey—"

Alex could see how uncomfortable the teen was, especially with the onslaught of questions being thrown his way. He was still holding his arms and bouncing one of his legs up and down in either frustration or annoyance. He was biting down on his lower lip too, like he was trying to hold himself back. He stopped looking at Bones a long time ago, instead choosing to focus on the floor.

"Bones," they tried their best impression of Boss, "leave him alone."

Bones sighed in defeat. "Sorry." He pressed his face against the window and left Eiji alone. Alex sighed, maybe the drive would be quiet now.

"Wonder where Shorter is."

Curse Bones and his loudass mouth.

Before Alex could turn around and properly yell at him, Eiji broke into tears. He held himself tighter and leaned forward, messy bangs covering his face. Bones and Kong flinched at the sound, backing up as far as they could only to hit their heads against the windows.

" _Gomenasai_!" Eiji cried. Kong silently mouthed the word a few times, like that would help understand the foreign word.

"Go _what_?" Bones asked, leaning forward to try and look at Eiji. Alex sighed and tried not to slam their face on the steering wheel. Eiji could barely answer Bones' question, he was still repeating that word and whimpering quietly, like a terrified kitten.

They were far away from the mansion now. Alex slowed down and parked the car on the side. Not having to worry about driving anymore, Alex leaned over and finally whacked Bones over the head.

"Ow!"

"Apologize." Alex ordered, "Right now. You're lucky Boss isn't here because he'd most likely just shoot you." They're not entirely sure if Ash would shoot him out right, but the face Bones made at the thought was worth it.

"No, don't apologize." Eiji managed to say. He furiously wiped away tears and blinked back new ones. "It's not your fault I— it's stupid."

"Still. Sorry, man." Bones apologized anyway. Eiji nodded and leaned back in his seat, staring at the rear view mirror instead of them. His eyes were red from crying and some blood on his sleeves smeared on his face, but he looked stable enough.

"Feeling better?" Alex asked. They resumed driving when Eiji nodded again. They did their best not to sigh in relief. If Eiji wasn't ok, they weren't sure what they'd be able to do. Comfort wasn't exactly their strong suit, and the only people they've ever comforted was their sisters.

"Japan's nice." Eiji whispered, a response to a question Bones asked before.

"Huh?"

"Japan," Eiji repeated a little louder, "it's nice. I live in Izumo, away from all the tall buildings and blinding lights. Maybe it's because I've lived there my whole life but I think it's nicer than Tokyo."

Alex couldn't help but look back. He had a tiny smile now as he talked about his hometown, his eyes brightening just a little as he reminded himself of what was most likely a simpler time.

This was better than silence, Alex decided, hearing Eiji talk about a kind of happiness they'd never have while Bones and Kong would prompt him to continue. By the time they got back to the base, Eiji looked better than before. He was excitedly talking with Bones and Kong as they went inside. He froze when he noticed everyone staring at him.

"What took you guys so long?" someone asked. Eiji deflated slightly, feeling ashamed that he was the reason they were held back. It wasn't his fault he's out of his element here. He's not a part of their world. When it looked like he was going to apologize, Alex intervened.

"It's none of your business." they said bluntly. They turned to Eiji, "Feel free to use the bathroom and wash up. We should have clothes your size somewhere."

"Thank you." Eiji mumbled, bowing out of habit as Alex pointed to where the bathroom was. Once they heard the door close, they turned to the gang. Even though Alex wasn't Boss, everyone had the same amount of respect for them.

"We do have clothes his size, right?" Alex asked, which led to a frantic search to make sure there were clothes and Boss won't come back and think they ignored Eiji.

Ten minutes turned to thirty, and after nearly an hour with nothing to imply Eiji would leave, Alex decided to go check on him. Bones was hesitant.

"Only person that sometimes takes this long is Boss, and you know why." he said, eyes darting to the door to make sure Boss didn't show up while he was talking about him. And yeah, Alex knew about most of the things that happened to Boss, but there's no way that happened to Eiji. But if it _did_ happen, Alex would feel guilty because while they couldn't comfort Boss, at least they could comfort Eiji.

They grabbed the spare change of clothes someone left in the guest room and stopped in front of the bathroom door. They knocked twice before speaking.

"Uh, hey," Alex started lamely, "I brought you some clothes. Can I come inside?"

The longer the silence, the more anxious they got. Thankfully, they soon heard a quiet "Yeah." They opened the door and slid inside, keeping their eyes on the floor.

"I'm not looking." They said, putting the clothes near the sink. They heard Eiji giggle and the sound of water as he moved around.

"It's fine." Eiji mumbled, prompting Alex to slowly look at him. He was almost submerged in the water, knees close to his chest as he kept his head lowered. "Thank you."

"No problem." Alex stood awkwardly for a bit, trying to get their thoughts together so they wouldn't say anything weird.

"You know—"

"I'm so sorry—"

They both stopped and laughed.

"Sorry, you go first." Alex apologized. Eiji managed to sink lower.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry for everything. I was also hoping you could not tell Ash what happened." he whispered, sounding almost ashamed of himself.

"You mean what happened in the car?" Alex clarified, "because you don't have to be sorry about that—"

"It's not just that," Eiji interjected. "It's— a lot of stuff happened that was my fault and I know I'm a burden right now and the last thing I want is for people to worry about me when my problems are very small compared to everything else that's happening."

Alex waited until he stopped before asking, "Mind if I say something?"

Eiji nodded.

"Well, my words probably don't mean anything but you're not a burden. It's not your fault you don't know how to handle being in our world, and your problems are just as valid as ours. And…" they trailed off before finding the courage to keep going. "If you ever want to talk about anything, I'll be here. Bones and Kong as well, they seem to like you a lot."

That got Eiji to smile, and while it didn't reach his eyes, it was close enough. "Thanks," he said, "I might take you up on that."

"And don't worry about Boss." Alex added, "We won't say anything." Truth be told, Alex wasn't sure if they could keep a secret from Boss, but they sure as hell could try for Eiji's sake.

"Thank you." Eiji repeated, looking more at peace than he did before. Alex left him alone after that, and was immediately bombarded by questions from Bones and Kong.

"Hey, chill! He's alright!" Alex tried to calm them down, reassuring them that yes, Eiji is alright, and no, he's not crying.

A few minutes later Eiji emerged from the bathroom. The room went silent before Bones jumped right back into the conversation he and Eiji were having.

"Ya can't say you sing and then not sing anything!"

Eiji had offhandedly mentioned he would go sing karaoke with his friends. Alex was surprised Bones latched onto that knowledge so quickly. Eiji's face turned red as Bones kept pestering him about it. Before Alex could whack Bones on the head again, Eiji quietly slipped past them and sat down on the couch before singing softly in Japanese.

" _Kakurete, mitsumete, tsunagete…_ "

The difference between Eiji speaking Japanese as opposed to English was drastic. He seemed more confident and comfortable while the words seemed like a melody he knew all the words to. He kept his eyes closed— most likely to avoid seeing their expressions— but he wasn't slouching like he did in the car. The confidence mixed with the gentle tone as he sang impacted everyone in the room.

Even without knowing the words, it managed to feel extremely intimate. Maybe this was his way of letting them in, and Alex made a mental note to find the lyrics at some point.

They didn't even know Eiji finished until he hesitantly opened his eyes and tried to speak. Out of his trance, Bones' eyes seemed to sparkle as he rambled about how amazing it was. Everyone joined in, not used to praising others, but wanting to let Eiji know they appreciated it.

Seemingly not used to the praise, Eiji's face went red again as he thanked everyone profusely. Alex couldn't remember the last time everyone wasn't so high strung.

Now more comfortable with Eiji, the gang got a bit closer to him. There was less hesitation when they asked questions and they all seemed softer when with him.

Imagine that.

The softness disappeared when Boss came back, but there was a sense of relief in knowing they'd shortly receive orders. Alex could see the tension disappear from Eiji as well, even if it was replaced with concern the minute he passed out on the bed.

"He does that a lot." Alex said once they were sure Boss went to sleep. He was terrifying when he woke up, and they dreaded when the two hours would be up and they'd have to wake him.

Eiji stayed by Boss's side while he slept, and the tiredness from before seemed to return. He quietly sang the same song from before as Alex left the room. Just like before, it felt too intimate. It wasn't something they had the right to bear witness to.

Eiji was a good kid in every sense of the word. Alex pitied him and the fact he was stuck here for the time being. Even though they said they'd be there for Eiji, they weren't sure they could ever give back as much as Eiji did.

**Author's Note:**

> The song Eiji sings is from [maretu](https://youtu.be/DZm9rFfwZ-w). It just seemed fitting. Nonbinary Alex has also become my new favorite thing to write because I've self projected onto Eiji too many times.
> 
> Discord: https://discord.gg/SfWtu25bbH


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